


gently in the cold dark earth

by SafelyCapricious



Series: things you find in a graveyard [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/M, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-10 14:24:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20853257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SafelyCapricious/pseuds/SafelyCapricious
Summary: Everyone knows there are things other than humans who wander the town — beings with teeth just a little whiter, eyes that glow, fingers faster and skin strong as steel. No one talks about it. But everyone knows.





	gently in the cold dark earth

**Author's Note:**

> Title generated by the [Hozier random fanfic title generator](http://www.generatorland.com/usergenerator.aspx?id=22501) because. 
> 
> This is part of my attempt at fictober, it is probably a terrible mistake (fictober, this fic is fine).
> 
> This is my first time posting Vax'leth, so I hope you enjoy.

Everyone knows there are things other than humans who wander the town — beings with teeth just a little whiter, eyes that glow, fingers faster and skin strong as steel. No one talks about it. But everyone knows. 

When someone new moves into town it’s only a matter of time before someone warns them — or before they vanish. 

It’s not a large town, so gossip about new tenants spreads quickly. 

Which is why Vax is so taken aback when he nearly runs into her, late one night, at the park. 

There are times when it’s safe to be outside, and times when it’s not — and Vax has lived here his entire life and he knows the difference between the two, but for most it’s easier to just stay inside once the sun has finished setting — braving trips between car and door, if necessary. 

But this isn’t that. 

They’re in the middle of the park and there’s no parking anywhere close and — 

“Hello!” she says, brightly. And even with only the light of the moon high above her hair is bright red and her smile bright — and everything about her is bright. 

“It’s night,” he says, dumbly. 

Her smile doesn’t dim, but she does look up to the sky as if she’s confirming the fact and, “Yes,” she agrees with a ready nod and then she’s turning back to him, still smiling but looking reassuring like she’s waiting for him to point out some other obvious fact that she can confirm for him and — 

He wants to tell her that it’s not safe. Or that it _is _safe tonight, but that it’s not safe all nights and — why hasn’t someone told her? He can’t tell her, he thinks, panicked, he’s one of the things she should be hiding from. 

“Okay,” he says, instead, and she’s still smiling and he forces himself not to take a breath because he wants to know what she smells like and that’s never good, “goodbye.”

“Bye!” she says, still bright, still smiling — behaving like this hasn’t been a wildly strange interaction and turning back to the flowers she’d been admiring as he beats a hasty retreat. 

***

“There’s someone new in town,” he says over his dinner and Vex’s breakfast. The words sound more accusatory than he’d intended, and he winces as she simply arches an eyebrow and stirs another handful of berries into her oatmeal. 

His shoulders hunch and he stabs at the lone blood sausage still on his plate, although his appetite has deserted him. 

“She was out last night,” he offers as a half apology. 

“Oh,” she takes a moment to look him over, staring pointedly at his almost empty plate. “It was safe last night, wasn’t it?” 

“Yes,” he agrees, and then winces, because he’d still been out and that’s not safe. “But I just — someone needs to make sure she knows it’s not safe.” 

Vex hums under her breath for a moment. “I thought Allura had, had a word with her. But I’ll check. We are talking about a red head, yes, taller than you?” 

He nods, scowls, and takes his empty plate to the sink. “Taller than you, too, Stubby.” He dodges the spoonful of oatmeal she flings at him more by luck than skill, and they both watch it drop down the wall. “Definitely my bedtime,” he says, and flees before she can make him clean it up. 

***

He walks the park slower, the next night, not wanting to run into anyone on accident. 

He’s sure Vex would’ve made sure the woman was warned, this time. 

He refuses to feel any regrets about it. 

It _was_ nice though, to see someone other than his sister. Or their friends who sometimes come over for a game night when he swears it’s safe to travel. Though it says a lot about the sad state of affairs of his socialization that he couldn’t even speak to her. 

There was a time when he’d been charming and suave and would’ve done more than bumble and run away. 

He spends a moment imagining how that would go — and bites it back with a snarl at himself. He knows he could easily charm anyone, if he wanted to. But he refuses to use that and be like them and it’s _better_ if he never sees her again, never mind that he’s lonely. 

He rounds a tree and she’s there again. He steps back, pulling shadows around himself instinctively, and he realizes she’s singing softly to herself and he should’ve heard her well before this, if he hadn’t been distracted. 

She’s crouching by the side of the path, he can see, and she has a basket. She’s clipping flowers and carefully placing them in the basket and he wonders if she was doing it last night too and he just didn’t notice. She’s not using a light, but there’s a shaft of moonlight highlighting her work, and her movements are sure and steady. 

He lets himself take a breath, and he can taste her. He bites his tongue hard enough to draw blood and just watches her until even he has to acknowledge that he’s being creepy, and then he steps out of the shadows, making sure to scuff a shoe in the dirt. 

“Hello,” he says and she looks up and smiles. 

She doesn’t look worried or at all surprised that he’s here again, and he worries about her survival instincts that she’s not even a little alarmed at being approached by a male stranger in the middle of the night in a dark park. He knows he won’t hurt her — but he’s not the only thing that haunts the night. But if he warns her will she take it as a threat? He doesn’t want her to be afraid of him.

Though she should be.

“It’s going to be a full moon, soon,” she says.

“Yes,” he agrees, bemused, wondering if this is how she felt last night when he mentioned it was night. And someone really should have told her that it’s not safe, he was sure Vex would get someone to and —

“It’s not safe to be out on the full moon, you know,” she says, her smile gone for a moment as she peers up at him, concern etching lines in her face that he wants to smooth. 

He wonders, for a moment, if she’d misunderstood the warning given. Fulls moons aren’t safe, she’s right, but they’re hardly the only night that’s dangerous. “I know,” he says, realizing he’s been staring at her for far too long and looking away abruptly. He’s suddenly glad he can’t blush anymore. “Other nights aren’t safe, either.” he says, deciding that the risk of her fear is better than the chance of her being hurt.

She hums in her throat and goes back to trimming flowers into her basket. “I’ve been okay so far,” she says, “I’ve only run into you, and you won’t hurt me.” 

His heart tries to beat, for a moment, before realizing it’s out of practice and settling back in his chest, silent and still. “No,” he agrees, softly, coming to crouch beside her, “I won’t.”

She smiles at him and then points at the flowers. “_Aconitum_ _vulparia_,” she says, “My mother always said it was best to harvest them the nights leading up to the full moon.” 

He nods and studies the flowers, more to keep himself from staring at her then out of interest. It’s got drooping pale flowers, maybe yellow. It’s hard to tell in the moonlight. She’s gone back to singing softly as she clips flowers and he wants to lean into her warmth and rest, and that’s dangerous. So he clears his dry throat and asks, “What do you use it for?”

“Oh,” she says, smiling at him as she brushes her hair behind her ear, “this and that. This batch it to help a friend. You’ve gotta be careful with it though,” she warns, reaching out and grabbing his hand before he can touch a flower, “it can be poisonous if you don’t prepare it right.” 

He holds her hand for a moment, feels the warmth of her and the pulse of her blood and then drops her hand abruptly and stands up. “Right, well, good luck getting what you need. But you shouldn’t be out at night by yourself.” 

“I’m not by myself,” she says as he retreats, “I have you here.” 

***

“I thought you were going to warn her!” he says, flicking on the lights and bursting into Vex’s room. Vex comes out of bed disoriented but swinging, and he stays back as she finishes her flailing and blinks at him in confusion. 

“Wha—“ she yawns wide enough to make a snake envious and collapses back into her bed. “What?” 

He scowls and crosses his arm. “The girl — “ 

“Keyleth,” she interrupts, patting at her side for wherever her phone has fallen. 

“Keyleth,” he says, forcing himself not to dwell on the name, “was in the woods again tonight. I thought you were going to make sure she was warned.” 

Vex peers at him, yawns again, and finally catches hold of her phone. “Vax,” she says, calmly, and he reaches to grab the pillow she throws at his head from the air before it hits. “Percy talked to her about it, they’re old friends apparently,” a scowl pulls her lips for a moment before another yawn cracks it, “so he must’ve told her it was safe tonight. It should’ve been safe tonight.” She points out, reasonably. 

“Oh, well if _Percy _did it then I’m sure it was done right and —“ 

“Shut up,” she says, spots of color high on her cheeks.

He leans against the doorframe and tries for nonchalant — mainly hoping she’s still more asleep than awake. “When you say they’re old friends, do you mean…” 

She scowls at her lap and then at him, “I don’t know but —“ her eyes go wide, “Vax, no.” 

And he grimaces. 

She’s out of the bed and reaching for his arm, trying to be comforting but clumsy with it. “You can’t like her, brother, you don’t even know her and — you _can’t_.” 

“I know,” he admits, hiding behind his hands, “which is why I need her to stop being out at night. Please, stubby?” 

“Alright,” Vex says, leaning against him and yawning again, “I’ll take care of it. I promise this time.” 

***

Vex keeps her word. Keyleth is nowhere in the park when night falls the next night.

Vax tries not to resent the loss of her. 

***

The next night is the full moon.

There will be others out tonight, Vax knows. But he’s really not expecting Keyleth. 

“What —“ he says, as soon as he’s rushed to her, clutching her shoulders. She’s reached back to grab him as well and is asking the same question as him — “are you doing here?” 

She’s standing in the middle of the dog park, sticks at her feet that she dropped at his approach. There’s no one else there yet, but it’s only a matter of time, he has to get her somewhere safe.

“I told you,” she says, and it’s been a long time since anyone but his sister has actually held him and the grip she has on his arms seems tighter than he would’ve expected, and it’s probably good for him that he doesn’t bruise anymore, “it’s not safe on the full moon!”

He blinks at her in disbelief, “You need to leave,” he says, “it’s not safe for you!” 

“What do you mean —“ He senses them only a second before they’re there, pulling her away from him and tossing him back into the trees. He comes back snarling but stops after stepping into the clearing because the menace of Sylas’ is enough to stall him.

“Oh how sweet,” says Delilah, arms wrapped around Keyleth’s waist and chin resting on her shoulder, leaning towards her neck, “he’s finally found a companion. Do you think he wants us to change her to join him?” 

“I’m not giving you permission to do that,” Keyleth says, clearly, frown between her brows, and Vax could cry with frustration. 

“Don’t you dare,” he says, trying to sound firm but knowing he’s pleading with beings without mercy. 

Delilah laughs, fangs glinting in the light, and then Sylas is gliding closer to the pair of them and Vax is wondering if attacking Sylas will distract Delilah long enough for Keyleth to get away when there’s a crash from the woods behind him. 

“I’m okay!” Keyleth calls, loudly, right before Delilah buries her fangs in her neck, and then, “Hold him please!” confusedly. Vax is already starting forward for Sylas anyways, and then there’s screaming and it’s loud and it hurts and he has to save her and then he can’t move and it feels like iron bars around him but when he looks down it’s hairy arms and he’s thrashing and then he’s being pressed into the cool damp grass and he can just see Keyleth standing there.

Standing there, not screaming. 

Delilah, on the other hand, is clutching her face and screaming and Sylas is snarling, “What did you do, you bitch?” and Vax can see that Delilah’s mouth looks like wax that’s been left too long in the sun.

“I told her she didn’t have permission to bite me,” Keyleth says, crossing her arms and frowning more. 

“I’ll kill you,” Sylas says and the steps forward and then it’s just a pillar of light so bright that Vax has to close his eyes even as he wants to watch and see that Keyleth is okay and he presses face into the ground and even still he feels like he’s gotten sunburn — a laughable concept since sunburn will kill him. 

“You can let him up now, Grog,” Keyleth says and Vax feels himself go limp with relief even as the bands around him release and the weight at his back gets up. 

“We still gon’ play fetch?” asks a voice he doesn’t recognize.

“Of course!” is Keyleth’s cheerful reply, and then there are hands against his face, “Oh, I’m sorry. That must’ve been bright for you, huh?” 

And he looks up and his eyesight is blurry but he can see her there, smiling brightly at him. 

He takes her hand and yeah, she’s definitely stronger than she should be. 

She smiles, “Do you want to help me throw sticks for my friend?” 

“What?” he asks, even as he’s looking at who — what — was holding him. And it’s a massive pale werewolf, standing on his hind legs and grinning with a disturbing number of teeth. 

“Hi! M’Grog!” the werewolf says which — 

“How is he talking?” Werewolves can’t form words when they’re — during the full moon. Everyone knows that. 

“Well dat’s rude, I’m smart n’stuff ya’know,” the werewolf says, and then sniffs, “I know all m’colors n’some of m’numbers.” 

Vax nods dumbly and stares, “Right. Of course.” 

Keyleth laughs “I think he’s asking how you can talk right _now, _Grog, since it’s the full moon and all. And Vax, that’s what I was gathering the flowers for — before — for a potion. It makes it easier to watch him.” 

“Right,” Vax repeats again, feeling like the night has gotten wildly out of control — in the best way. “Throwing sticks?”

Grog howls at the question and then grabs an entire branch off a nearby tree. Vax, even with his vampire strength isn’t able to throw it very far.

Keyleth, on the other hand, can throw it far enough that the sound of Grog crashing through trees grows faint in the background. 

“What are you?” he asks, and then because he realizes how that sounds, “I mean, wow — you’re incredible but —“

She laughs and puts him out of his misery. “I’m a fae, silly.” 

“Oh,” he says like he hasn’t just learned that’s a real thing and not from fairy tales, “of course.” And then, because it seems a good a time as any, “I don’t suppose you’d like to go out sometime — I mean, I can’t go out when it’s light but —“ 

“I wouldn’t mind,” she says, and smiles, and before he can ask anything else Grog is crashing back into the clearing with what Vax is pretty sure is a different tree branch entirely in his mouth.

**Author's Note:**

> If you also ship them come yell at me on [on tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/capriciouswrites). 
> 
> I have to get to trivia (we are going to lose!) so that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!


End file.
